Pick



J. N. GROOVEIL PICK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1919.

Pa tented Nov. 2, 1920.

muan'roz UNITED STATES JOHN NORMAN GROOVER, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

PICK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application filed May 7, 1919. Serial No. 295,317.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN N. GRoovER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama,have invented a new and useful Pick, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in tools of the character knownas picks, the object of the invention being to provide an improved toolwherein the points can be renewed or differently shaped pointssubstituted for those originally furnished with the tool.

A further object of the invention is to provide a body or head adaptedto interchangeably carry a plurality of diiferent implements and inwhich the use of screws for holding the implement in place is entirelyeliminated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a tool of thecharacter set forth which is comparatively simple in construction,inexpensive to manufacture and very durable in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features ofconstruction and combination of parts which will be more fully describedhereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in sec tion, of my improved pick,showing a portion of a handle attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, broken away at its lower end;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one end of an implementadapted for use in my improved construction.

The same characters of reference designate the same parts in thedifferent figures of the drawings. Y

As is well known, the ordinary pick is used until the points thereof areworn off so short that the tool is of no service, where upon itis'thrown away, since the cost of steel and labor is so high that it ismore expensive to buy the steel and hire a blacksmith to re-point thetool than a new one would cost. The object of this invention, therefore,is to provide a pick that is so formed that the working points aredetachably secured thereto, so that when a point becomes worn, or it isdesired to use a point of different formation, all that is necessary isto remove the discarded point and substitute the one desired.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates a body or head having the usualopening 3 therein for the reception of the end of a handle 4-, theopening and handle being slightly tapered toward the outer end thereofto prevent separation of the head from the handle when in use. The head2 shown herein comprises a pair of oppositely extending arms 5, the endsof which are sawed off square. Each of these arms is provided with alongitudinally extending opening 6 communicating at its extreme innerend with a small laterally extending recess 7. V'Fithin the opening 3 atthe outer end thereof is formed in each of the arms 5 a recess 8, whichcommunicates through a channel 9 with the opening 6 in the arm.

An implement 10 having any suitable form of point is provided with astem 11, the size of which immediately adjacent to its point of juncturewith the implement is such as to snugly lit the outer end of the opening6 and tapered down on one side thereof to a smaller size at its end, asclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The end of the implement on which thestem 11 is formed is of approximately the same size as the sawed offends of the arms 5, whereby the implement is provided with a shoulder 12surrounding the stem. The stem 11 is provided at its end, on the sideopposite the tapered side with a laterally projecting lug 13 adapted toseat within the recess 7 of the arm 5. For securing the stem in theopening 6 with its lug in engagement with the recess 7, I provide awedge-shaped member 14 adapted to pass through the channel 9 and form awedge between the tapered side of the stem and one of the side walls ofthe opening 6, the wedge 14 having a laterally extending head or lug 15adapted to seat in the recess 8 within the opening 6 of the body.

In assembling the tool, the stem 11 is in serted in the opening 6 bytilting the implement so that the tapered side of the stem rests againstthe side of the opening oppo-' site the side havingtheyrecess 7, and-thestem slid in until its lug 13 reaches the recess 7, whereupon theimplement is tilted in the opposite direction so as to cause said lug-toseat within the recess. The shoulder 12; of the implement is thus firmlyseated on the end of the arm 5, whereupon thewe'dge 14 is insertedofromthe end of the handle-opening 81 throughthe communicating channel 9 andpushed'down until its lug 15 is seated within the recess 8 of the head.The handle is then inserted through the opening 3, and owing tothetapered formation-of the opening 3 and ofthe handle the sides of thehandle will lie against the ends "of 'the wedges 1a and hold themfirmlyseated in the arms, whereby the implement is positivelylockedagainst' withdrawal from the opening6.

Fromthe foregoing it-will be seenthat when a jobis to be done'thatrequires the use of a'n'umber of'implements having differently formedcutting ends, such as picks, mattocks, axes and the like, it isnecessary to have only one head, andall of the: implements requiredhaving the same formation of stem maybe interchangeably secured insaid'head in the manner 'abovedescribed.

It should also be noted'that therecess 8 or slotformed'thereby,communicates with the convex side of'the head, asdistinguished fronrtheinneror concaved side thereof, andthat the outer wall of thelongitudinally extendingopening 6 in each arm, e2;- tends in apla-ne,'to clear the convex face at the outer side and at a pointdiametrically opposite thereto, at the sleeve orbody portion 2, thuspermitting the wedge'keys 14L to'be engaged in position'or disengagedtherefrom, longitudinally, to clear the outer face of thehead, thusgreatly facilitating the application thereof and the securing of theparts in position.

While I have described in detail the structure herein illustrated, it isto be understood that I do not thereby limit my invention to theprecise'features of construction shown, as I am aware that manymechanical changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from-the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in theclaims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: V

1. A tool of the class described having a and provided with acommunicating slot having an opening extending laterally through thehead, a stem adapted to be secured tosaidhead and provided with'alugprojecting laterally therefrom at its inner 'endto'enter said recessfrom the opposite side ofthe opening and an elongated wedge key adaptedto engage the slot through the opening thereof in a plane clear of theouter end of the head and into the space between theT stem and the wallof-the longitudinal opening to hold the lug in' therecess,said'stem'having an implement formed 'ing therefrom,- the outerface being convex and the inner face concave, each of said arms beingprovided with a longitudinal opening forming an end wall at thefree endof'each arm and having a recess in one side thereof atits inner. end,said openings each communicating with the outer face of the headthroughva slot therein, said recess being disposed oppositetheslot'ofeach opening, an implement for each arm" having a reduced portionforming a shoulder adapted to engage the outer end of each arm andconform thereto, said reduced'portion" being tapered to provide a stemhaving a lateral projection at -one side *a'daptedto engage said recessand leave a space of' tapei'ed formation betweenitsopposite side and theadj acent wall ofv the opening, and a wedge key engaged through the slotofeach recess and in said space throughout the length of the armsand-stems'and adapted to be engaged in position longitudinally ordisengaged in a plane clear of the convex face of the head.

3. A tool of the classdescr'ibed comprising ahead provided with anopening for the reception of ahandle and having a pair of armsprojecting therefrom, each of said arms being provided with alongitudinal opening,athe outer wall of each of which 6Xt611ClS'lIl aplane to clearthe outer face of the head the diametrically opposite sideor pointand a'laterally extendmg recess communicating with said openingat itsinner end, the front of the head having 7 a right angularly formedslot communicating with said opening first-named and with thefrontsurface of the head at the convex side thereof, an implementconformingin cross section to each arm and provided with a tapered stemprojecting therefrom forming a shoulder adapted to engage'the ends'ofthe arms around the longitudinal openings therein, said stems beingbeveled at one side and having a lug projecting from the opposite sideadaptedito enter a lateral recessby angular engagement of the stems inthe openings of the arms, and a In testimony that I claim the foregoingwedge shaped member adapted to engage as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signain said longitudinal openings between the ture in the presenceof two Witnesses.

stems and opposite Walls in and through JOHN NORMAN GROOVER. said rightangularly formed slot whereby Witnesses: 1 a handle disposed in theopening of the T. P. STOVALL,

head will retain the same in position. E. H. NALL.

